Homegrown champion returns to Holy Faith this Sunday

This Sunday will be another “golden medal” day when Grace Daley returns to share another winning score of faith, hope and love at Holy Faith Episcopal Church of Dunnellon. Join her at 9 a.m. on March 19.

Daley’s golden career began in Marion County as a basketball star at Lake Weir High School. From there, she moved on to become the most decorated student-athlete in the history of Tulane University women’s basketball!

At Tulane, she rode the Green Wave into stardom. Daley was a three-time All-American guard during her college career as she scored 2,249 career points, the most of any basketball player in school history. She led Tulane to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years from 1997-2000.

She was an integral part of two Conference USA regular season championship teams and three C-USA tournament championships, winning the tournament MVP trophy in 1999.

Daley’s No. 4 jersey was retired in 2006, and still stands as the highest-drafted player in Tulane basketball history.

Following her senior year at Tulane, Daley was drafted fifth overall in the 2000 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx as just the second college player picked. She went on to play four seasons for the WNBA – one year each with the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Houston Comets and Phoenix Mercury.

Daley retired from professional basketball to pursue a career in education. She’s taught at various levels for the past 12 years. She’s presently a member of the faculty at Trinity Catholic High School.

She was awarded the coveted “Golden Apple Award,” a recognition as one of the Top 5 educators in Marion County.

She also serves as the Director of Health Education for Free D.O.M. Clinic, USA, providing free dental, optical, and medical care for people in need. This is where the community of Dunnellon and Holy Faith came to know Daley. In November 2021, Dunnellon Community Services, Inc., under the auspices of Holy Faith Episcopal Church, hosted a Free D.O.M. Clinic where over 50 underserved local residents received health care services. Priest-in-Charge, Fr. Paul Hamilton and others who had the opportunity to meet her knew she had something special to offer God’s community.

Daley answered the call to pursue ministry full time through an organization called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and is simultaneously working toward her doctorate in Christian Leadership and Ministry Leadership from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity. She carries the gospel message to hundreds of children weekly at the middle and high school level in Marion County.

We hope to see you at 9 a.m. this Sunday, March 19, at Holy Faith Episcopal of Dunnellon, 19924 W. Blue Cove Drive, Dunnellon. Come see, hear and meet a true champion. Daley is now the No. 1 starting guard on the Team of the Almighty!